Pit School

Control.
They must learn control.
Group Obedience Classes for Pit bulls & Pit mixes
under 1 year of age. FREE.

Please call the shelter or check back here for dates of the Spring/Summer 2013 classes

Click for a downloadable Pit School Brochure

Let’s face it #1: Pit bulls have bad reputations. If you’re a Pit bull owner, you may have already encountered breed prejudice from landlords, family and even friends. You may be considered “irresponsible” just because you love dogs with big heads and smooth coats.

There are irresponsible pet owners out there, and they hurt all of us. Out-of-control dogs don’t look cool or tough; they just look mean and stupid. And when one of those dogs gets loose and bites someone or hurts someone else’s pets, who gets the blame? Not the irresponsible owners. The entire Pit bull breed.

We want to change that.

By teaching Pit bulls how to behave nicely both in the home and in public, we can have great dogs and help to end harmful stereotypes about the breed.

Pit School is for smart owners with young dogs who want to work with us to break breed stereotypes — and have awesome, well-mannered dogs!

About the Classes

Let’s face it #2: Pit bulls are strong, energetic dogs, and they can be rowdy and impulsive! During Pit School’s Basic class, we’ll focus on getting control of the dog in your life with:

Puppy fundamentals like house-training & appropriate chewing habits

Listening & paying attention even around distractions & other dogs

Controlling impulses & leaving things alone when asked

Walking on a leash without pulling

Sitting politely to meet people, without jumping up

Getting calm, settling down & chilling out

We’ll also focus on learning how to “read” dog body language, how to know when dogs are playing nicely & when it’s getting out of hand, and how to keep dogs safe around each other.

Pit School is FREE to qualified applicants. Registration will be limited, so sign up early!

Classes will be held once a week for six weeks. The introductory first class will be 90 minutes long and is for people ONLY (dogs stay home); classes 2-6 will be 1 hour long.

Who Can Come?

To qualify for the Pit School Program, pet owners must:

Be Siskiyou County Residents

Be 18 years of age or older to handle the dog in class. Younger Pit bull owners and family children are welcome in class, but must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Attending dogs must:

Be a Pit bull or Pit bull mix

Be under 1 year of age

Have proof of 2 rounds of DHLPP vaccinations prior to the start of class; dogs 4 months and older must also have proof of Rabies shots.*

*If you aren’t sure which vaccinations your dog needs or what to use for proof, please call or e-mail us prior to registering for class.

Auditors are welcome! If you want to learn about training, but your dog doesn’t qualify for Pit School, you are welcome to come observe classes WITHOUT a dog. Just let us know.

Please review Pit School Rules & Policiesbefore registering for class. If you aren’t sure if your dog qualifies, or if your dog has potentially concerning behavior issues, please contact us before registering for a FREE eligibility consultation.

Once you have determined that you and your dog qualify, you can pick up a registration form from the Adoption Center, or you can download the registration form.

To sign up for class, mail or drop off your completed registration form with proof of vaccinations to: